TEEN DROWSY DRIVING

DISORDERS

TEEN DROWSKY DRIVING

Each year drowsy driving causes thousands of deaths on our roads. The risk of drowsy driving is highest among teens and young adults. The best way to prevent drowsy driving is to get sufficient nightly sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teens sleep 8 to 10 hours per night for optimal health. However, many teens fail to get the sleep that they need on a regular basis.

Key Points:

Teens between 13 and 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours per night.
Getting proper sleep prepares you to remain alert behind the wheel.
Insufficient sleep can severely impair your driving ability.
Teens and young adults have the highest risk of drowsy driving.
Drowsy driving can be deadly.

Tips To Prevent Drowsy Driving:

To prevent drowsy driving you should make it a priority to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night. Avoid driving late at night when your body expects to be sleeping. It is also safer to avoid driving alone. On a long road trip, alternate driving with another passenger. Pull over or have another passenger take the wheel if you experience any of these warning signs ofdrowsy driving:

You keep yawning or are unable to keep your eyes open.
You catch yourself “nodding off” and have trouble keeping your head up.
You can’t remember driving the last few miles.
You end up too close to cars in front of you.
You miss road signs or drive past your turn.
You drift into the other lane of traffic.
You drift onto the “rumble strip” or onto the shoulder of the road.

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General Overview

Most teens get less than eight hours of sleep on school nights, accumulating a sleep debt of five to 15 hours weekly. They often compensate by sleeping in on weekends, disrupting their body clock and making it harder to fall asleep at night. This ongoing sleep loss negatively affects their driving performance, making drowsy driving similar to drunk driving in terms of reduced alertness and increased accident risk.

Treatments:

To prevent drowsy driving:

Ensure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool.
Turn off electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime.
Avoid long naps; limit naps to 30 minutes in the early afternoon.
Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon or evening.
Follow a relaxing bedtime routine and maintain a consistent sleep schedule.

Next Steps:

Aim for 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.
Never drive when drowsy; pull over if you feel sleepy.
Consult a sleep doctor for ongoing sleep issues.

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Accreditation

Since 1977, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Standards for Accreditation have been the gold standard by which the medical community and the public evaluate sleep medicine facilities. Achieving AASM accreditation demonstrates a sleep medicine provider’s commitment to high quality, patient-centered care through adherence to these standards.